HK1253564B

HK1253564B - Compositions, in particular sweetening compositions

Info

Publication number: HK1253564B
Application number: HK18112768.5A
Authority: HK
Inventors: Josef Nachbagauer; Manfred Urban-Klik; Volker Boehringer
Original assignee: Red Bull Ag
Filing date: 2018-10-08
Publication date: 2021-06-11

Description

The present invention relates to compositions, in particular sweetening compositions, their use for the preparation of sweetening syrups and beverages as well as to the preparation of said beverages.

Common soft drinks usually contain significant amounts of natural sugars such as sucrose, glucose, fructose or mixtures thereof. The caloric content of these natural sugars usually is in the range from 3.6 to 3.9 kcal/g. Many attempts have been made to reduce the caloric content of beverages such as soft drinks. In some instances natural sugars have been replaced by steviol glycosides. Some steviol glycosides have a sweetening power which is about 240 to 400 times that of natural sugar sucrose. Steviol glycosides are derived from extracts of the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). The four major steviol glycosides found in the leaves of the stevia plant are stevioside (about 5 to 10 wt-%), rebaudioside A (about 2 to 4 wt-%), rebaudioside C (about 1 to 2 wt-%) and dulcoside A (about 0.5 to 1 wt-%). Further steviol glycosides which are found in the extract of the leaves of the stevia plant, however in rather minute quantities, are rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D and rebaudioside E. The common aglycon of all steviol glycosides is steviol which belongs to the class of diterpenes.

Unfortunately, beverages sweetened with steviol glycosides suffer some drawbacks which for many consumers outway the caloric content of conventional beverages. Steviol glycosides are known to cause a bitter and/or licorice-like aftertaste, in some instances also a metallic aftertaste. In addition, the sweet sensation is retarded to some extent, that is, the sweetening exhibit a so-called lingering. In some cases steviol glycosides are also responsible for a blunt or dry mouthfeel.

In EP 2 519 118 sweetening compositions are disclosed containing a sweetener and at least one sweetness enhancer chosen from terpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, proteins, polyols, other known natural sweeteners, seco-dammarane glycosides, and analogues thereof. Suitable sweetening enhancer are reported to include stevia sweeteners, such as stevioside, steviolbioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside F, and dulcoside A. The at least one sweetness enhancer has to be present in the composition in an amount at or below the sweetness detection threshold level of the at least one sweetness enhancer, and the at least one sweetener and the at least one sweetness enhancer are different.

In EP 2 386 211 the use of rubusoside for masking, reducing or suppressing a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste impression of a bitter, sour and/or astringent-tasting substance is described. Compositions containing rubusoside shall mask, reduce or suppress in food products and in pharmaceuticals the bitter, sour and/or astringent taste impression of compounds such as steviosides and rebaudioside A.

And, WO 2008/049256 addresses a sweetened consumable comprising a) at least 0.0001 % of at least one sweetener, wherein said sweetener includes sucrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, sucralose, saccharine, or combinations thereof, wherein said at least one sweetener or sweetener combination is present in a concentration above the sweetness detection threshold in a concentration of at least isosweet to 2% sucrose, and b) at least one sweetness enhancer selected from the group consisting of naringin dihydrochalcone, mogroside V, swingle extract, rubusoside, rubus extract, stevioside, and rebaudioside A. Each sweetness enhancer shall be present in a concentration near its sweetness detection threshold. For naringin dihydrochalcone this concentration shall be from 2 to 60 ppm, for rubusoside from 1.4 ppm to 56 ppm, for rubus extract from 2 ppm to 80 ppm, for mogroside V from 0.4 ppm to 12.5 ppm, for swingle extract from 2 to 60 ppm, for stevioside from 2 to 60 ppm, and for rebaudioside A from 1 to 30 ppm.

Also many other attempts have been made to overcome the afore-mentioned shortcomings of steviol glycoside sweeteners such as a bitter and/or licorice-like aftertaste, a blunt or dry mouthfeel and/or a sweet aftertaste.

For example, according to WO 2012/073121 A2 the bitter aftertaste of steviol glycosides shall be decreased or eliminated by the reduction or elimination of rebaudioside C or dulcoside A or both from stevia compositions. However, it has been found that the reduction of rebaudioside C and/or dulcoside A as such does not guarantee a reduction in bitter aftertaste. Moreover, even with stevia compositions being void of rebaudioside C or dulcoside A consumers experience a slow onset and sometimes even a longer duration of the sweetness sensation.

In WO 2008/147726 it is described that a more sugar-like flavor profile shall be obtained by sweetener compositions comprising at least a) one sweetness enhancer such as urea or thiourea, b) at least one sweetener comprising a carbohydrate sweetener, a natural high-potency sweetener, a synthetic high-potency sweetener or a combination thereof such as rebaudioside compounds, sucralose, aspartame or acesulfame potassium, and c) at least one sweet taste improving composition selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids, or mixtures thereof.

New sweetened beverage formulations which do not exhibit a bitter aftertaste shall be obtained according to EP 2 474 240 A1 by use of rebaudioside D and an acidulant comprising at least lactic acid and one or both of tartaric acid and citric acid, and no phosphoric acid.

From WO 2011/146463 A2 it can be derived that the bitterness in an otherwise sweet composition containing steviol glycosides shall be masked by incorporating an increased amount, relative to naturally occurring compositions, of rebaudioside D.

EP 2 486 806 A1 discloses a low-calorie orange juice drink which makes use of a mixture of 84 wt-% rebaudioside A and 16 wt-% rebaudioside D. Different from a low-calorie orange juice having been sweetened with a conventional stevia extract a pleasant taste similar to sucrose, a full mouthfeel, and no bitterness and no aftertaste shall be observed during sensory evaluation. A similar outcome was reported for a zero-calorie carbonated beverage.

According to WO 2008/112967 A1 the metallic aftertaste experienced with beverages containing conventional steviol glycosides shall be masked by the presence of anisic acid.

And, in WO 2012/109585 A1 it is disclosed that attributes such as bitterness, sweet aftertaste and licorice flavor of steviol glycosides may be overcome by sweetening compositions comprising a blend of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and steviol glycosides, in particular when the ratio of rebaudioside B to total steviol glycosides in the blend ranges from 0.5 % to about 50 % and more preferably from about 5 % to about 40 %.

EP 3 017 708 is about a sweetening composition comprising rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 80.0 to 99.0 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount in the range from 0.1 to 1.5 wt-%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount in the range from 0.9 to 18.5wt-%.

Sucrose being the standard natural sweetener has a characteristic time and intensity sweetness profile. Whereas some artificial sweeteners have a more rapid onset of sweetness than sucrose, most artificial sweeteners such as stevia compounds have not only a significantly slower onset but also exhibit a significantly longer linger than sucrose. The afore-mentioned drawbacks associated with the use of steviol glycosides are still not overcome to a satisfactory extent. It is therefore desirable to obtain beverages, which contain less or no natural sweeteners, and which have a much improved sweetness and aroma profile.

Accordingly, there still is a need to provide low-calorie beverages which do not exhibit a delayed onset of the sensation of sweetness and which, optionally, also do not suffer from a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste and/or which do not cause a blunt or dry mouthfeel. Hence, it has been a major goal of the present invention to attain a temporal sweetening profil similar or even essentially identical to that of natural sugar, i.e. a natural sweetening profile, in particular with respect to both the onset of sweetness and its lingering time.

The problem underlying the present invention has surprisingly been solved by a composition, in particular sweetening composition, according to a first embodiment comprising a) at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, b) at least one stevia compound, c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any combination thereof, and d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative in an amount, based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative, wherein the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, are to be present in an amount, based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative, in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.

Alternatively or simultaneously, said sweetening composition can be characterized in that, based on the total weight of component b), component c), in particular the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 45 to 75 wt-%, the component c), in particular the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 2 to 40 wt-%, and the component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 2 to 40 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%. The weight ranges are in particular applicable for an alternative embodiment in which the composition of said first embodiment represents a dry mixture, in particular in powder and/or particulate form.

According to a preferred embodiment the aforementioned alternate forms of the sweetening composition, based on the total weight of component b), component c), in particular the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 50 to 70 wt-%, in particular 55 to 65 wt-%, the component c), in particular the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 35 wt-%, in particular 10 to 30 wt-%, and the component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 35 wt-%, in particular 10 to 30 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%.

The at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate of the sweetening composition in particular is sucrose. And, among the at least one stevia compound of the sweetening composition those are preferred selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof.

Among the compounds of component c) of the sweetening composition of the present invention rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative are preferred, rubusoside being particularly preferred.

Tannins in the meaning of the present invention shall comprise polyphenols, in particular so-called plant polyphenols, which exhibit an astringent sensation. It is presently believed that said astringent sensation is caused by or associated with a binding reaction of said polyphenols to proteins. For example, tannic acid coagulates albumen and gelatin. Tannins usually have two or three phenolic hydroxyl groups on the phenyl ring. Tannins can, for example, be classified into pyrogallol type tannins and the catechol type tannins. Tannins can also be classified into so-called hydrolysable tannins, e.g. based on ellagic acid and gallic acid, and condensed tannins, e.g. based on catechol. Tannins of the present invention can be derived from any of the aforementioned classified groups.

Suitable tannins encompass for example ellagitannins, such as punicalagin and geranii, and gallotannins which belong to the class of hydrolysable tannins, as well as stilbenoids such as astringin or resveratrol. Ellagitannins usually contain various numbers of hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP) units, as well as galloyl units and/or sanguisorboyl units bound to sugar moiety. Suitable representatives of tannins also comprise epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and phlorotannins.

Tannins can for example be obtained from extracts of oak or of pomegranates, in particular pomegranate rind extracts. For example, gallic acid is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark,

The composition or extract containing at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, can be derived from seeds, bark, cones, husk, and/or heart-wood of oak, pomegranate, chestnut, gallnut or mimosa, in particular from oak or pomegranate.

Tannic acid in the meaning of the present invention in particular comprises polygalloyl glucoses and polygalloyl quinic acid esters with the number of galloyl moieties per molecule in particular ranging from 2 up to 12, in particular 3 to 12, e.g. decagalloyl glucose. Accordingly, tannic acid in the meaning of the present invention can be understood to be, for example, formed of gallic acid molecules and glucose. Tannic acid will usually hydrolyze into glucose and gallic acid and/or ellagic acid units. In general, with the term tannic acid both an individual compound as well as a mixture of two or more compounds is meant. Enzyme-treated steviol glycosides include those steviol glycosides having been treated with, for example, cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase).

The compounds of component c) of the sweetening composition of the present invention, in particular rubusoside or a rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or enzyme-treated steviol glycosides, and even more particular rubusoside, have been found with the compositions of the present invention to assist in improving its sweetening profile at the onset so that the sweetening sensation is shifted towards the actual consumption of the sweetening composition of a product containing said sweetening composition of the first embodiment of the present invention. Rubusoside (CAS No: 64849-39-4) can be found in leaves of Rubus suavissimus S. Lee (Chinese sweet leaf). Rubusosides in the meaning of the present invention shall also comprise enzymatically-treated rubusosides.

With the sweetening compositions it is preferred that the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 80 g/l, preferably in the range from 15 g/l to 70 g/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 55 g/l. Alternatively or in addition in said sweetening compositions rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative preferably is present in an amount in the range from 20 to 200 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 20 mg/l to 150 mg/l and in particular in the range from 30 to 125 mg/l.

The problem underlying the present invention has also been solved by a composition, in particular sweetening composition, also referred to as second embodiment of a composition or sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a) at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof, c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any combination thereof, d) tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative and e) oak extract and/or pomegranate extract.

Among the compounds of component c) of the second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative are preferred, rubusoside being particularly preferred.

In said second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is preferably present in an amount in the range from 5 to 80 g/l, more preferably in the range from 15 g/l to 70 g/l and in particular in the range from 25 to 55 g/l. Alternatively or in addition in said sweetening compositions of the second embodiment rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferably present in an amount in the range from 20 to 200 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 20 mg/l to 150 mg/l and in particular in the range from 30 to 125 mg/l. And, again, alternatively or in addition in said second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention the total amount of tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative is preferably present in an amount in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and in particular in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.

The problem underlying the present invention has also been solved by a composition, in particular sweetening composition, also referred to as third embodiment of a composition or sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a) acesulfam and/or aspartam, in particular acesulfam, b) sucralose and/or at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof, and/or saccharin and/or cyclamate, c) neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin, d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative.

Among the compounds of component c) of the third embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention neohesperidine and rubusoside are preferred, neohesperidine being particularly preferred.

In this third embodiment component d), based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.

Such a sweetening composition according to the third embodiment of the invention is particularly preferred which comprises a) acesulfam and/or aspartame, in particular acesulfam, b) sucralose or saccharin or at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof, c) neohesperidin, and d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, wherein component d), based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l if the composition of said third embodiment is an aqueous composition, in particular in the form of a beverage.

Alternatively or simultaneously, said third embodiment of a sweetening composition can be characterized in that, based on the total weight of component a), in particular acesulfam, component b), in particular sucralose, component c), in particular neohesperidine, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component a) is present in an amount in the range from 10 to 50 wt-%,the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 15 to 65 wt-%, the component c) is present in an amount in the range from 0,1 to 4 wt-%, and the component d) is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 50 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components a, b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%.

According to a preferred embodiment the aforementioned alternate forms of the third embodiment of a sweetening composition, based on the total weight of component a), in particular acesulfam, component b), in particular sucralose, component c), in particular neohesperidine, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component a) is present in an amount in the range from 15 to 45 wt-%, in particular 20 to 40 wt-%,the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 20 to 55 wt-%, in particular 30 to 45 wt-%, the component c) is present in an amount in the range from 0,2 to 3 wt-%, in particular 0,5 to 2 wt-%, and the component d) is present in an amount in the range from 10 to 40 wt-%, in particular 15 to 35 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components a), b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%,

Particularly preferable results as to an improved sweetening profile, i.e. a sweetening profile coming close to or being even essentially identical to that of natural sugar, that is a so-called natural sweetening profile, is obtained with the third embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention in which component b) comprises or consists of sucralose, saccharin and cyclamate or, alternatively, in which component b) comprises or consists of at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof, saccharin and cyclamate.

In the sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, in particular in the form of an aqueous composition, preferably in the form of a beverage, acesulfam and/or aspartame is preferably present in an amount in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 50 to 200 mg/l and in particular in the range from 75 to 150 mg/l. Alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention sucralose preferably is present in an amount in the range from 20 to 750 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 40 mg/l to 550 mg/l and in particular in the range from 60 to 450 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in the preferred embodiment of the first and second embodiment, neohesperidin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 0.01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 15 mg/l and in particular in the range from 1,0 to 10 mg/l. Alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention saccharin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 10 mg/l to 750 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 20 mg/l to 500 mg/l and in particular in the range from 30 to 400 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention cyclamate preferably is present in an amount in the range from 10 mg/l to 500 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 50 mg/l to 300 mg/l and in particular in the range from 75 to 200 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in the preferred embodiment of the first and second embodiment, thaumatine preferably is present in an amount in the range from 0.01 mg/l to 10 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 0,05 mg/l to 5 mg/l and in particular in the range from 0,1 to 2 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative preferably is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 200 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 150 mg/l and in particular in the range from 20 to 125 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in the preferred embodiment of the first and second embodiment, phloretin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 1 to 250 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 5 mg/l to 200 mg/l and in particular in the range from 10 to 150 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in the preferred embodiment of the first and second embodiment, trilobatin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 0,1 to 250 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 1 mg/l to 200 mg/l and in particular in the range from 5 to 150 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in the preferred embodiment of the first and second embodiment, monatin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 0.01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 10 mg/l and in particular in the range from 0,05 to 5 mg/l. And, alternatively or in addition, in said sweetening compositions of the third embodiment of the invention hesperetin preferably is present in an amount in the range from 1 to 750 mg/l, more preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 500 mg/l and in particular in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.

In the sweetening compositions of the present invention the at least one stevia compound preferably is a mixture comprising, in particular consisting of, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 80.0 to 99.0 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount in the range from 0.1 to 1.5 wt-%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount in the range from 0.9 to 18.5 wt-%.

Moreover, in the sweetening compositions of the present invention the at least one stevia compound preferably is a mixture comprising, in particular consisting of, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 85.0 to 95.0 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount in the range from 0.2 to 1.2 wt-%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount in the range from 4.8 to 13.8 wt-%.

Furthermore, in the sweetening compositions of the present invention rebaudioside A can be present in an amount in the range from 86.0 to 94.3 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount in the range from 0.3 to 0.9 wt-%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount in the range from 5.4 to 13.1 wt-%, in each case based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D.

In a particular preferred version of the sweetening of the present invention rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 90.5 to 94.0 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in amount in the range from 0.2 to 1.0 wt-% and rebaudioside D is present in amount in the range from 5.8 to 8.5 wt-%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 90.9 to 94.4 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in amount in the range from 0.2 to 0.5 wt-% and rebaudioside D is present in amount in the range from 5.4 to 8.6 wt-%, in each case based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D.

Steviolglycosides such as rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside F, stevioside, dulcoside, rubusoside and steviolbioside can be detected and determined according to HPLC-UV as specified in JECFA (2010) Steviol Glycosides, FAO JECFA Monograph 10, FAO, Rome.

The problem underlying the present invention has also been solved by a composition, in particular by a sweetening compensation, also referred to as fourth embodiment of a composition or sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a) 0,1 to 50 g/l of a natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting monosaccharides, b) 40 to 120 g/l of a natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate different from a), in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting disaccharides, and c) 30 to 300 mg/l rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or 0.01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 15 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 1,0 to 10 mg/l, neohesperidin, or 0.01 mg/l to 10 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,05 mg/l to 5 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 0,1 to 2 mg/l, thaumatine or 1 to 250 mg/l, preferably in the range from 5 mg/l to 200 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 10 to 150 mg/l, phloretin or 0,1 to 250 mg/l, preferably in the range from 1 mg/l to 200 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 5 to 150 mg/l, trilobatin or 0,01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 10 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 0,05 to 5 mg/l, monatin or 1 to 750 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 500 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l, hesperetin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any mixture thereof, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside.

Among the compounds of component c) of the fourth embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative are preferred, rubusoside being particularly preferred.

Said versions of the fourth embodiment of the present invention are particularly preferred which comprise a) 0,5 to 30 g/l of a natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting monosaccharides, b) 70 to 110 g/l of a natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting disaccharides, and c) 40 to 220 mg/l rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative or 0,1 mg/l to 15 mg/l and preferably 1,0 to 10 mg/l neohesperidin, or 0,05 mg/l to 5 mg/l and preferably 0,1 to 2 mg/l thaumatine or 5 mg/l to 200 mg/l and preferably 10 to 150 mg/l phloretin or 1 mg/l to 200 mg/l and preferably 5 to 150 mg/l trilobatin or 0,1 mg/l to 10 mg/l and preferably 0,05 to 5 mg/l monatin or 10 mg/l to 500 mg/l and preferably 25 to 250 mg/l hesperetin.

In the sweetening compositions of the present invention the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate preferably is selected from the group consisting of a natural sweet-tasting monosaccharide, a natural sweet-tasting disaccharide, a sweet-tasting sugar alcohol and a mixture thereof. While said the sweet-tasting natural monosaccharide preferably is selected from the group consisting of fructose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, tagatose, galactose, and mixtures thereof, said sweet-tasting natural disaccharide is preferably selected from the group consisting of sucrose, lactose, maltose and mixtures thereof. Moreover, said sweet-tasting sugar alcohol preferably is selected from the group consisting of erythritol, glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, galactitol and mixtures thereof.

With the sweetening compositions of the present invention it is particularly preferred to make use of sucrose as the sweet-tasting natural disaccharide.

The sweetening compositions of the present invention can further comprise at least one flavoring ingredient selected from the group consisting of galangal, cocoa, cinnamon, lemon, lemon juice concentrate, coca leaf, orange, orange oil, corn mint, pine, cardamom, mace, clove, lime, lime oil, nutmeg, nutmeg oil, mustard seeds, mustard seed oil, caramel, rosemary, pepper, honey, ginger, vanilla, licorice, licorice extract, cola nut and cola nut extract or mixtures thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the sweetening compositions the present invention further comprise taurine and/or caffeine. Accordingly, the sweetening compositions of the present invention can be used for sweetening beverages, in particular soft drinks or energy drinks.

Interestingly, the sweetening compositions of the present invention are also suited to prepare precursor compositions in the form of a syrup which can be easily stored and transported and can be used on demand for the preparation of in particular carbonated beverages.

The problem underlying the present invention has also been solved by a beverage comprising a sweetening composition according to any embodiment of the present invention. Here, the sweetening composition according to any of the embodiments of the present invention can already as such represent an aqueous composition, in particular a beverage. Alternatively, said sweetening composition according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, without added water present, can also represent a dry mixture, in particular in powder and/or particulate form. However, even if the sweetening composition according to any of the embodiments of the present invention represent aqueous compositions still further ingredients such as flavors or thickening agents may be added to form, for example, a commercial beverage.

Suitable beverages according to preferred embodiments are characterized in that rebaudioside A, B and D in combination are present in the beverage in a concentration in the range from 0.01 to 1.0 g/l, preferably from 0.05 to 0.75 g/l and more preferably from 0.1 to 0.6 g/l (determined at ambient temperature and 1 bar).

Also those beverages according to the present invention are preferred in which the sweet-tasting natural carbohydrates and the sweet-tasting sugar alcohols are present in combination in the beverage in a concentration not above 40 g/l, preferably in the range from 5 g/l to 35 g/l and more preferably in the range from 10 g/l to 25 g/l (determined at ambient temperature and 1 bar). Ambient temperature in the meaning of the present invention shall mean room temperature, i.e. a temperature in the range from 20°C to 25°C.

The beverages of the present invention comprise, in particular carbonated, soft drinks and energy drinks. Suitable soft drinks also include cola-flavored soft drinks, wherein cola-flavored soft drinks also encompass cola-flavored-type soft drinks. Also these beverages, when being sweetened with the sweetening composition in accordance with the present invention, do not or do essentially not exhibit a slow onset of the sensation of sweetness but provide a rather harmonic sweetening profile and do not or do essentially not have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste.

It is another benefit of sweetening compositions of the present invention that beverages can be obtained which, if at all, contain natural sugars such as sweet-tasting carbohydrates and/or sweet-tasting sugar alcohols in a very reduced amount.

The sweetening compositions of the present invention can also comprise, for example when used with energy drinks, further ingredients such as sodium citrate, glucoronolactone, inositol, at least one vitamin, e.g. niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, riboflavin, caustic caramel, caustic sulfite caramel, ammonia caramel, sulfite ammonia caramel or ascorbic acid or mixtures thereof.

The sweetening composition of the present invention can be used for sweetening beverages, in particular soft drinks or energy drinks. The beneficial effects coming along with the use of the sweetening composition of the present invention can in particular also be accomplished with carbonated beverages.

The problem of the present invention has also been solved by a method comprising the steps of a) providing a sweetening composition according to the first to fourth embodiment of the present invention, b) providing water and c) mixing components provided under a) and b). The process of the present invention particularly further comprises the step (step d)) of carbonating the beverage.

According to another embodiment, the process of the present invention can further comprise the step of adding at least one thickening agent, at least one sweet-tasting natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet-tasting sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient to the sweetening composition according to the first to fourth embodiment of the present invention or to a mixture comprising water and one of said sweetening compositions of the present invention. The aforementioned components may also be added to water prior to mixing with any of said sweetening compositions of the present invention. Here, the definitions provided above for thickening agent, sweet-tasting natural carbohydrate, sweet-tasting sugar alcohol, organic acid and flavoring ingredient are applicable as well both in terms of general information and preferred embodiments.

Furthermore, it is also possible that the sweet-tasting natural carbohydrates and/or at least one sweet-tasting sugar alcohol are added to the mixture comprising water and one of the sweetening compositions of the present invention prior to and/or after the carbonating step, preferably prior to the carbonating step.

The sweetening compositions of the present invention as well as the beverages of the present invention, e.g. soft drinks or energy drinks, in one embodiment can also comprise common additives such as amino acids, coloring agents, bulking agents, modified starches, texturizers, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents or arbitrary mixtures thereof.

With the present invention it has been surprisingly found that sweetening compositions are accessible which do not exhibit a slow onset in the sweetening sensation. As an additional effect it is also possible to arrive at such sweetening compositions which do not have a bitter aftertaste and/or which also do not have a metallic aftertaste. Moreover, it has surprisingly been found that with the sweetening compositions of the present invention an aroma or sweetening profile can be accomplished which resembles that of beverages having been sweetened with natural sugars, even with carbonated beverages. Furthermore, it has surprisingly been found that with at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or tannic acid derivatives, being present in the compositions of the present invention the long-lasting sweetening sensations of artificial sweeteners as, for example, stevia compounds can be shortened furnishing a natural or an essential natural sweetening sensation, that is a sweetening profile regularly caused by known high caloric sugars.

It is, thus, possible with the sweetening composition of the present invention to prepare beverages, in particular carbonated beverages, such as soft drinks and energy drinks which though having a significantly reduced caloric content exhibit an improved sweetness and aroma profile and which in a preferred embodiment also do not differ significantly in their taste from conventional beverages having been sweetened with natural sugars and/or artificial sweeteners. This also includes that a sweetened sensation is perceived by the consumer already at the very beginning. In addition, with the sweetening composition of the present invention beverages can be obtained which do not have an insipid or blunt taste or mouthfeel.

In the meaning of the present invention artificial sweeteners shall comprise all sweeteners different from natural sweeteners such as natural monosaccharide and disaccharide sweeteners, e.g. glucose and sucrose.

That is, with the present invention, in particular with the combined use of rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or a tannic acid derivative, beverages are accessible which though having been sweetened or co-sweetened with artificial sweeteners such as stevia compounds exhibit a temporal sweetness profile as to onset time, duration, i.e. linger, and, if need be, intensity of sweetness being rather similar to that of sucrose. Accordingly, the present invention not only allows shifting the slow onset of, for example, stevia compounds towards that of sucrose, i.e. thereby exhibiting a more rapid onset, but also aids in significantly reducing the lingering effect.

Claims

A sweetening composition comprising
a) at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose,

b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof,

c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any combination thereof, and

d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, wherein component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount, based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative, in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.
The sweetening composition according to Claim 1, wherein based on the total weight of component b), component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 45 to 75 wt-%, the component c), in particular the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 2 to 40 wt-%, and the component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 2 to 40 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%, and/or wherein the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 80 g/l, preferably in the range from 15 g/l to 70 g/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 55 g/l, and/or wherein rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is/are present in an amount in the range from 20 to 200 mg/l, preferably in the range from 20 mg/l to 150 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 30 to 125 mg/l.
A sweetening composition according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising
a) at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose,

b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudiosides and mixtures thereof,

c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any combination thereof,

d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, and

e) oak extract and/or pomegranate extract,
in particular wherein component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in the amount in the range from 1 mg/l to 400 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.
The sweetening composition according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein, based on the total weight of component b), component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, the component b) is present in an amount in the range from 50 to 70 wt-%, in particular 55 to 65 wt-%, the component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 35 wt-%, in particular 10 to 30 wt-%, and the component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount in the range from 5 to 35 wt-%, in particular 10 to 30 wt-%, wherein in each case the sum of components b), c) and d) always adds up to 100 wt-%.
The sweetening composition according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein neohesperidin is present in an amount in the range from 0,01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 15 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 1,0 to 10 mg/l, and/or wherein thaumatine is present in an amount in the range from 0,01 mg/l to 10 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,05 mg/l to 5 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 0,1 to 2 mg/l, and/or wherein rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is/are present in an amount in the range from 5 to 200 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 150 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 20 to 125 mg/l, and/or wherein phloretin is present in an amount in the range from 1 to 250 mg/l, preferably in the range from 5 mg/l to 200 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 10 to 150 mg/l, and/or wherein trilobatin is present in an amount in the range from 0,1 to 250 mg/l, preferably in the range from 1 mg/l to 200 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 5 to 150 mg/l, and/or wherein monatin is present in an amount in the range from 0.01 mg/l to 20 mg/l, preferably in the range from 0,1 mg/l to 10 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 0,05 to 5 mg/l, and/or wherein hesperetin is present in an amount in the range from 1 to 750 mg/l, preferably in the range from 10 mg/l to 500 mg/l and more preferably in the range from 25 to 250 mg/l.
The sweetening composition according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the at least one stevia compound is a mixture comprising, in particular consisting of, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 80.0 to 99.0 wt-%, in particular in the range from 85.0 to 95.0 wt-% and more preferably in the range from 88.0 to 94.3 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount in the range from 0.1 to 1.5 wt-%, in particular in the range from 0.2 to 1.2 wt-% and more preferably in the range from 0.3 to 0.9 wt-%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount in the range from 0.9 to 18.5 wt- %, in particular in the range from 4.8 to 13.8 wt-% or in the range from 5.4 to 13.1 wt-%.
The sweetening composition according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 90.5 to 94.0 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in amount in the range from 0.2 to 1.0 wt-% and rebaudioside D is present in amount in the range from 5,8 to 8.5 wt-%; or wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, rebaudioside A is present in an amount in the range from 90.9 to 94.4 wt-%, rebaudioside B is present in amount in the range from 0.2 to 0.5 wt-% and rebaudioside D is present in amount in the range from 5.4 to 8.6 wt-%,
The sweetening composition according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of a natural sweet-tasting monosaccharide, a natural sweet-tasting disaccharide, a sweet-tasting sugar alcohol and a mixture thereof.
The sweetening composition according to Claim 8, wherein the sweet-tasting natural monosaccharide is selected from the group consisting of fructose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, tagatose, galactose, and mixtures thereof, and/or wherein the sweet-tasting natural disaccharide is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, lactose, maltose and mixtures thereof, and/or wherein the sweet-tasting sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of erythritol, glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, galactitol and mixtures thereof, and/or wherein the sweet-tasting natural disaccharide is sucrose,
The sweetening composition according to any of the preceding Claims further comprising at least one flavoring ingredient selected from the group consisting of galangal, cocoa, cinnamon, lemon, lemon juice concentrate, coca leaf, orange, orange oil, corn mint, pine, cardamom, mace, clove, lime, lime oil, nutmeg, nutmeg oil, mustard seeds, mustard seed oil, caramel, rosemary, pepper, honey, ginger, vanilla, licorice, licorice extract, cola nut and cola nut extract or mixtures thereof, and/or further comprising taurine and/or caffeine.
The sweetening composition according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein said composition is a dry mixture, in particular in powder and/or particulate form.
The sweetening composition according to any of Claims 1 to 10 further comprising water.
Use of the sweetening composition of any of the preceding Claims for sweetening non-carbonated or carbonated beverages, in particular soft drinks or energy drinks, or as non-carbonated or carbonated beverages, in particular soft drinks or energy drinks.
Use of the sweetening composition of any of Claims 1 to 12 for preparing a syrup as a precursor in the preparation of an, in particular carbonated, beverage, in particular a soft drink or an energy drink.
Use of the sweetening composition of any of Claims 1 to 12 for preparing an, in particular carbonated, beverage.
Beverage, in particular carbonated beverage, comprising or consisting of the sweetening composition according to any of Claims 1 to 12.
Beverage according to Claim 16, wherein rebaudioside A, B and D in combination are present in the beverage in a concentration in the range from 0.01 to 1.0 g/l, preferably from 0.05 to 0.75 g/l and more preferably from 0.1 to 0.6 g/l, and/or wherein the sweet-tasting natural carbohydrates and the sweet-tasting sugar alcohols are present in combination in the beverage in a concentration not above 40 g/l, preferably in the range from 5 g/l to 35 g/l and more preferably in the range from 10 g/l to 25 g/l.
Beverage according to Claim 16 or 17 characterized in that it is a soft drink, in particular a cola-flavored or cola-flavored-type soft drink, or an energy drink.
Process for preparing a beverage according to any of Claims 16 to 18 comprising the steps of
a) providing a sweetening composition according to any of Claims 1 to 12,

b) providing water and c) mixing components provided under a) and b).
Process according to Claim 19 further comprising the Step (step d)) of carbonating the beverage.
Process according to Claim 19 or 20 further comprising the step of adding at least one thickening agent, at least one sweet-tasting natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet-tasting sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient to the sweetening composition prior to mixing with water or to a mixture comprising water and the sweetening composition and/or to water prior to mixing with the sweetening composition, and/or wherein the sweet-tasting natural carbohydrates and/or at least one sweet-tasting sugar alcohol, are added to the mixture comprising water and the sweetening composition prior to and/or after the carbonating step.
Use of the sweetening composition of any of claims 1 to 12 comprising
i) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatine and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside or any combination thereof, and

ii) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative,
for shortening, in particular with beverages, the lingering sweetness of artificial sweeteners, in particular of stevia compounds, and for shifting the onset of the temporal sweetness Sensation of said artificial sweetener towards that of natural sugars, in particular to that of sucrose.